Tentative Settlement Is Reached With TV Station in Fatal Nightclub Fire

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A cameraman who filmed a nightclub fire that killed 100 people and the TV station where he worked have reached a tentative $30 million settlement with survivors of the fire and relatives of those who died, a lawyer involved in the deal said Saturday.

The settlement is the largest of several reached so far with the dozens of people and companies sued after the fire at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, R.I.

The blaze, on Feb. 20, 2003, began when pyrotechnics used by a rock band ignited foam that was used as soundproofing.

The cameraman, Brian Butler, who worked for WPRI-TV, was at the nightclub gathering videotape for a segment on safety in public places. One of the club owners, Jeffrey Derderian, was a reporter at the station at the time.

Lawyers for the victims had accused Mr. Butler of impeding the crowd’s exit through the front door, where many of the bodies were ultimately found. He and his lawyer, Chip Babcock, have denied the claim.

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After Mr. Butler was named in the 2004 lawsuit, Mr. Babcock said his client “saved lives that night.” Mr. Babcock did not immediately return calls seeking comment on Saturday.

The settlement, which also involves the station’s parent company, the LIN Television Corporation, was first reported Saturday by The Boston Globe. A lawyer involved in the deal confirmed the settlement on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about it.

The defendants are not admitting any responsibility as part of the settlement, the lawyer said. The settlement requires the approval of the plaintiffs and a judge.

Roughly 300 survivors and victims’ relatives sued after the fire. Last year, lawyers reached settlements totaling $18.5 million with a handful of the defendants. Civil cases related to the fire are pending. The criminal case was resolved in 2006 through plea deals with the three men charged.

Daniel Biechele, the former tour manager for the band, Great White, pleaded guilty to igniting the pyrotechnics and is due to be paroled next month after serving less than half of his four-year prison sentence. Michael Derderian, the other club owner, was also sentenced to four years in prison and will be paroled in October 2009. Jeffrey Derderian was sentenced to community service.

A version of this article appears in print on , on Page A20 of the New York edition with the headline: Tentative Settlement Is Reached With TV Station in Fatal Nightclub Fire. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe